There is a question that has been brought to me several times recently and I wanted to address it in an open and in-depth manner so that people can be aware of the correct steps that are taken in order to actually initiate into “Palo Mayombe” or Nkisi Malongo.
First, I want to give a disclaimer that not everything I will mention is exactly the same for all houses and some do things somewhat different but all the core concepts and steps are still taken.
The first step to initiating is digging within your own self and seeing if you even resonate with the traditional religion. I cannot stress enough that this traditional religion is not for everyone! You do this by interacting with people who are actively practicing members, not from what someone from another tradition said. Take your time, get to know the traditional religion and its openly known concepts. See if this even fits in with you and sits right on your soul.
The next step is to find an elder (Tata or Yaya) that resonates with you and do the same. Spend time with them, observe them, learn from them. Talk to them and ask questions. Take your time here, there is no rush to this process and rushing is catastrophic because it can lead you to be with elders you cant stand or fakes, scams, frauds etc. In some cases, I have seen people observing an elder upwards of a year to really get a feel for them.
Once you have resolved in your heart that this traditional religion is for you and you have found the elder that actually works for you, you must come to their spirits in person and do a reading/divination and ask them certain initiatory questions. This cannot be done remotely, this cannot be done via other traditions and this cannot be guessed on. Ifa cannot tell you if you belong in Palo Mayombe. You cannot be told that you must initiate to Palo Mayombe via a Misa. These are unacceptable mediums because they are overstepping boundaries and making determinations for a tradition that they are not. The only real and correct way is to come and sit in front of the Nganga of the elder you specifically feel comfortable with and ask that spirit the questions about initiation. Only Palo Mayombe can answer whether or not someone belongs in Palo Mayombe.
This is where some houses do things differently, the questions asked. For the most part, from my experience the questions are usually the same and just worded differently with exception of one and we will discuss that one when we arrive at that one.
The questions:
1) Does this person have a path in Nkisi Malongo?
2) Does this person have a path in this Munanzo?
3) Does this person need any Misas?
3a) If so, how many?
Lets start with the first one. This question is a flat out yes or no question asking if you belong in the traditional religion at all. This question is often a formality because you can pretty much know the answer judging by your resonating with the traditional religion and an elder already. It is still a necessary part of the journey though and should still ALWAYS be asked. If this question is skipped, you can find yourself initiated but not really welcomed by the spirits. This can be a really miserable circumstance because they will not acknowledge you. Keep in mind, this is one of the main reasons why Ifa and Misas cannot determine if someone should initiate into Nkisi Malongo. These systems in and of themselves are not recognized as a part of this traditional religion and so their input is also not recognized.
The second question is asked to determine how the elder’s spirits feel about you. Will they grant you access to their nation? Do they feel that your path lies within this tribe of people? Are your interests and the elders interest in alignment? The simple existence of this question further proves that Ifa and Misas cannot tell you whether you should initiate into Nkisi Malongo or not because they are not specifically asking with which house. In this religion, each house is its own nation. You cant issue a blanket term for all of the above especially if you’re not even a part of one to begin with.
The last question is a bit of a controversial one, some people ask the question and others dont. I have seen cases where people that do not ask the question hold a mandatory number of Misas (mostly just one) before proceeding. I have seen cases where people that do ask the question receive a no and they do not hold any misa for the future initiate. I will say that I feel much more comfortable with just asking the spirits and doing what they say to the letter. I have even heard of people saying that you cannot ask Palo spirits about Misas because they are not the same tradition. The issue is that Palo spirits are absolutely a part of your spiritual court and they do hold weight within the Boveda because Espiritismo is open and inclusive of all spirit guides. You speak to them in the protocol they established (readings/divinations) but they can speak on Espiritismo because they too are part of Espiritismo. The Misa is actually done to give any spirits of yours the opportunity to understand the ceremonies that are about to take place and object if they do not agree with these ceremonies taking place.
I want you to keep in mind that more questions can be asked but these are the basics and the bare minimum needed to correctly proceed on the journey to initiation.
Once you have asked the questions, you must then do the Misas (if any) to prepare for the next step on your journey to initiation.
The final step involves some more private rituals and ceremonies of which I am not willing to discuss openly but I will say that I have nicknamed this step “The Longest Day of Your Life” because you will be doing alot of ceremonies and rituals pretty much into the next day. Once you have completed this step, your journey to initiation ends and your journey towards learning and growing as a practitioner begins.